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This week, prominent Australian business leaders are visiting a leading girls’ school to share their success stories and advice to students approaching the end of their schooling experience.
Lauriston Girls’ School is a non-denominational school, offering progressive education for students from three-year-old Kindergarten to Year 12.
The speakers – who will attend Lauriston during May and June – include Swisse founder, Radek Sali, 2XU founder, Clyde Davenport, Diamond Energy founder, Tony Sennitt and CEO of BMW Australia, Marc-Heinrich Werner.
The school’s principal, Susan Just, told The Educator that most of the speakers have set-up at least one company, and others have been involved in many more.
“The reality for most of our students is that they will need to employ themselves or have a number of streams of income so our signature speakers will give a good insight into dealing with this change,” she said.
“In schools, more so than in many workplaces, we have conversations about the future and are focused on the future. We're always looking ahead.”
Just, who has worked as an educator for over 20 years, has been the principal of three independent girls’ schools in Queensland and Canberra.
She said that most schools are collaborating well, making “good use of external experts who can offer insights and provide sector knowledge to students”.
Just said due to these strong relationships in her own school, many parents share their career knowledge or offer their connections to encourage others to come and work on programs within the school.
Year 10 student, Molly Phillips, said she felt “very lucky” to be hearing from the six business leaders, the first of whom arrived at her school on May 9.
“I am looking forward to hearing about Mr Sali’s new well-being retreat in Red Hill and more about 2XU’s sportswear,” she said.
“The next part of the project is the fun part. I have to come up with my dream job.”
However, this is just one of many initiatives that the school has launched to inspire its students about the possibilities once they leave school.
Just pointed to her school’s unique ‘Howqua Program’, which is located in Victoria’s Howqua Valley.
“The students live away from home for the year in Victoria's high country and learn to be more independent and aware of the natural world,” Just said.
The program of activities run over seven days, three of which are spent volunteering in the local community. The girls also learn skills such as orienteering, hiking and horse-riding.
“The teenage girls live in houses, taking turns to clean the bathrooms, cut firewood for fire and make breakfast for one another. They also learn empathy, how to live with others and how to understand themselves better,” Just explained.
Lauriston also has a ‘Fab Learn Lab’ which combines traditional woodwork and design with technology such as laser cutters, Arduino boards and 3D printers.
The lab is used across the school to encourage girls to design products, experiment with making and to put theoretical knowledge to the test such as seeing if a house design will stand up or whether a chair is functional.
“There is a robust social service program and girls regularly tutor refugees at Friday Night School, work with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Amnesty International,” Just said.
Just said her school also offers a media and publishing club. The girls regularly design logos for events, make installations and key graphics for plays, create programs and brochures and make documentaries about projects.
“These programs are opening our girls’ eyes to the possibility of a range of jobs and reassuring them that new technology also brings opportunity in the workforce,” she said.
“We’re teaching our girls that taking risks is part of life, and that this encourages the students to support themselves.”